Safety repair device for high-voltage transmission-lines.



e. SK NEELEY. SAFETY REPAIR DEVICE FOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES.APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1916.

1,221,894. Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. NEELEY, 0F OVERLAND PARK, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOTHOMAS O. MOLONEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SAFETY REPAIR DEVICE FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION-LINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

original application filed September 30, 1915, Serial No. 53,394.Divided and this application filed July 19,

' 1916. Serial No. 110,189.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen S. NnnLnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at @verland Park, St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improve-merit in Safety Repair Devices forHigh-Voltage Transmission-Lines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact de-, scription, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to the art of overhead electrictransmission and distribution. lines, and more particularly to safetydevices in the nature of insulators, insulator supports, and wireclamping and holding means which are adapted to be utilized by workmenin effecting repairs to the overhead lines and the supports therefor, mypresent invention being a division of the subject-matter disclosed in myapplication for patenton safety repair device for high voltagetransmission lines, filed September so, 1915, Serial No. 53,394.

-The principal object of my invention is to provide comparatively simpleinexpensive means which can be readily manipulated with minimum dangerto the lineman for handling live wires and for effecting either atemporary or permanent connection between the line wire and its support,which latter under the present practice generally takes the form of aninsulator of glass, porcelain, or earthen material.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a new and improved form ofwire gripping member which can be easily and quickly applied toinsulators of the type now in general use, and which wire grippingmember can be advantageously utilized for temporarily engaging andgripping a live wire and holding the same in proper position untilpermanent repairs can be made.

to said live wire or its supporting insulator.

It will be understood that overhead lines utilized for the transmissionand distribution of electricity generally embody a support comprising apole and one or more cross arms, insulators applied to the cross arm onopposite sides of the pole, and the line wires which are secured to saidinsulators.

For various causes, insulators are frequently broken and an importantfeature in the maintenance of overhead. transmission lines and thoseutilized in high tension or high voltage service, resides in the renewalor replacement of such insulators as may become broken or damaged.

Heretofore it has been the practice to effect the replacement of thebroken or damaged insulators while the lines are dead, that is, duringthe time the current is cut ofi' in certain of the lines, it beingunderstood that the current is directed through certain of the lines fora given period of time and then switched to certain other of the linesfor a like period. This practice of waiting until the wires are deadbefore making repairs is objectionable for the reason that when aninsulator becomes broken, continued service through the line supportedby said broken insulator is attended with danger, owing to the breakingdown of the insulation of the system at this particular point. Where theinsulation is thus broken,

there is necessarily danger to life and prop-' erty, and where serviceis interrupted, there is more or less dissatisfaction among con sumersof current. v

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a wiregripping device of my improved construction applied to an insulator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate apractical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the usual type ofglass or porcelain insulator, the same being provided with one or moreaprons 11, a line wire receiving groove 12 in its top, an annular tiewire receiv ng groove 13, and a threaded recess 14 which receives thethreaded upper end of a supporting pin 15.

The body of my improved wire gripping device is in the form of aninverted cupshaped member 16, the same being adapted to be positionedover'the upper portion of the insulator and passing through the lowerportion of the wall of this body is a series of screws 17, the innerends of which are adapted to enter the groove 13, thereby firmlysecuring the body of the device to said insulator. The top of the body16 is provided on one side with an integral jaw 18 having an inset notchor recess 19, the same constituting a line wire receiving seat.

Formed on top of the body 16 opposite the jaw 18 is a transverselydisposed rib 20, the same being preferably dove-tail in cross sectionand arranged for sliding movement thereupon is a clamping jaw 21 withwhich are formed integral side pieces 22, which lie to the sides of thedove-tail rib 20.. The rear portions of these side pieces 22 are unitedby a cross piece 23, the same overlying the dove-tail rib 20.

Disk 24 is positioned between the rear side of jaw 21 and cross piece23, said disk being pivoted on an eccentrically disposed pin 25, thesame being seated in the body 16.

Formed integral with the disk 21 is an outwardly projecting arm 26 whichserves as a handle for manipulating the disk, and consequently movingthe gripping jaw 21 toward or away from fixed jaw 18.

A device of this character is particularly adapted for temporarilyengaging and holding a live line wire which has broken away from theinsulator or where an insulator has become broken, and to make the necessary repairs while the wire is live or carrying a high voltage current,a lineman first places an insulator on the pin 15, after which theinverted cup-shaped member 16 is applied to said insulator and firmlypositioned thereon by a proper manipulation of the screws 17., Handle 26is now manipulated so as to draw jaw 21 away from jaw 18 and the liveline wire is now engaged by a suitable insulated hook and lifted intoposition in recess 19. Handle 26 is now manipulated with a suitableinsulated tool to shift disk 24 on its eccentrically posed pivot, thusforcing jaw 21 against the wire in recess 19 and thus said Wire isfirmly clamped and held in proper position upon the support.

It will be understood that this'operation can be accomplished while theline wire is connecting naeneee in service, that is, while it iscarrying a high voltage current, and after the line has n. my copendingapplication, Serial No.

Repair devices of my improved construction are comparatively simple, canbe easily applied for use, and aliord a comparatively igh degree ofsafety to linemen who are obliged to make repairs to high tension lineswhile the same are carrying current of high voltage.

It will bere adily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claim.

ll claim:

In a repair device of the class described,

the combination with an insulator, of an inverted cup-shaped memberremovably positioned on top ofsaid insulator, a jaw mtegral with the topof said cup-shaped memher, which jaw is provided in one of its sidefaces with a wire receiving notch, a dovetailed rib formed on theinverted cupshaped member in front of and at right angles to-the wirereceiving notch, a jaw arranged for sliding movement on the dovetailedrib, a pair of side members integral with said sliding jaw, a transversemember the outer ends of said members, and an eccentric pivotallymounted on the dove-tailed rib between the sliding jaw and thetransverse member for moving saidjaw toward and away from the fixed aw.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signaturein the presence of twowitnesses, this 5th day of July, 1916. 1

GEORGE S= NEELEY.

Witnesses:

M. P. Sm'rH, M.'A. NDEL.

